Review: Crescendo, by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Crescendo, by Becca Fitzpatrick
Published: October 19th, 2010
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 432
Source: ARC, courtesy of Barnes and Noble
Overall Rating: 4.5 / 5

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

Crescendo was quite an emotional roller coaster. It was vastly different from Hush, Hush, in the sense that it was more about Nora and her heritage, than her relationship with Patch.

I enjoyed reading about Nora's family, and the rolls everyone in the story played.  There were a few surprises involved, and while some of the story proved to be predictable, there were definitely things I did not see coming.  I like a book that can keep me guessing.

The one thing I didn't like, was the way Nora and Patch handled their relationship. Both of them had me so infuriated, I wasn't even sure how to absorb it. I don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but let's just say they both had their issues.

Did this stop me from reading? Absolutely. Not. I still very much enjoyed the story. There is action in every chapter. Doors are being closed, while two more seem to open.

I still wasn't much of a fan of Vee. There were a few chapters where she redeemed herself, but then she'd do something that made her look so, so gullible. That girl will believe anything out of a guy's mouth, I tell ya. As long as it isn't Patch.

The ending wasn't necessarily a huge surprise, but it definitely opened us up to a world of possibilities. And boy oh boy what a cliffhanger! I can honestly say I have absolutely no idea where Fitzpatrick could possibly be taking this story, because there seem to be so many options. I cannot wait to find out!!

Cover:

5/5

Plot:

4/5

Pace:

5/5

Characters:

4/5

Ending:

4/5

Writing Style:

5/5

Review: Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush, by Becca Fitzpatrick
Published: October 13, 2009
Publisher: Simon & Schuster's
Pages: 391
Overall Rating: 5/5

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along. 

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel. 
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life

A little backdrop before I start my review of Hush, Hush.  I have a habit of reading Goodreads reviews of books before I even start them. Why? I have no idea, because I rarely agree with them in the end. Going through reviews for Hush, Hush, I came across numerous reviews that said it was a rip-off of Twilight. (Resisting the urge to rant about this!) This creates loads of doubt for me, so I was hesitant on even starting this book. I mentioned this through on Twitter, and the lovely Dee from Good Choice Reading told me it was nothing like Twilight. DON'T BELIEVE IT! She said. (I might be paraphrasing. :) ) So now that all is said and done, I want to give her a big THANK YOU!  You gave me the push I needed to start the book, and I. Am. Grateful. Aside from it being a young adult paranormal romance, with students in Biology class, I saw no similarities! (At least none that could be pegged as original Meyer ideas.)

So...my review.

You know what I'm going to say, right? Just look at that cover! It is sick! Love, love, love it!


So Twilight comparison aside, I still didn't expect much from this book. In my experience, books with the greatest covers never seem to live up to my expectations. The cover is dark, mysterious, and sexy in its own twisted way. Which is exactly how I would describe the book.


From page one, I was pulled into Nora's world, and I did not want to put it down. I thought she was a fantastic protagonist. She was intelligent and strong willed, and despite a few missteps, she was quite perceptive. Patch is......wow. Definitely swoon worthy. I'm trying not to devote my review to gushing about Patch, and it is taking some serious effort on my part. I couldn't help but hang onto every word out of his mouth. He has that whole bad boy persona mastered, but deep down he's a pretty decent guy. A decent guy who just happens to OOZE sex appeal. (Too much? Yeah...) Vee is Nora's best friend, and there were times when I liked her, and times when I really didn't. She's naive and selfish at times, but when you finish the book, her naivety seems to make perfect sense.


I could not put this book down. I read into the night until the final page, and was left wanting more more more. It is incredibly fast paced, and there were times when I was actually surprised. I was so preoccupied with the fantastic story being laid out for me, that I didn't even try to predict the outcome! Oh, and could the ending have been more perfect? No, it couldn't have. Not. Possible.


Ahem. Crescendo. Please?

Cover

5/5

Plot

5/5

Characters

5/5

Pace

5/5

Ending

5/5

Writing Style

5/5

This review should be posted over at Good Choice Reading as a guest post shortly. If you'd like, head on over and give their blog a visit!!

(Small rant: I feel compelled to say this, though I'm pretty certain none of you reading this really need to hear it. I loved Twilight. And while I loved it, I realize that vampires, forbidden love, and love triangles are NOT originated in Twilight. What is Shakespeare, chopped liver? Bram Stoker? These names ring a bell at all? If you want to inspect Twilight, you may notice that it bares striking resemblance to Vampire Diaries, released thirteen years prior. Can we please get over this?)